Both current conditions and expectations remain above their wartime lows, but the reversal of previous gains undercuts the notion that the slowdown early this year owed only to geopolitical concerns. Consumers are clearly troubled by the absence of new hiring, and worry about income prospects.
More Quotes from Maury Harris:
Price pressures appear to be building at crude PPI levels, but the Fed will likely wait to respond until these pressures filter into the consumer price index. We do not expect that to occur until next year.Maury Harris
We are seeing a 'soft landing' rather than a 'hard landing' in consumer spending for a couple of reasons. First, although job growth is slowing, wages are still rising, with average hourly earnings up 0.4 in October. Second, despite recent stock market turmoil, consumer spirits are holding up reasonably well.
Maury Harris
The bond market had been worried that we were near full employment and wage pressure would pick up and that the Federal Reserve would have to raise short term interest rates in response. But now that the all important employment cost index was up just 0.6 percent, the Fed doesn't need to raise short term rates because the economy is slowing down.
Maury Harris
What we do know is that the system manages to work -- we've been dealing with import penetration in this country for over three decades. Over that period of time, the unemployment rate has had its ups and downs, but there's been no trend increase in unemployment.
Maury Harris
You typically see a rebound in the labor force when the economy starts to recover. But because businesses are operating so much more efficiently, there's a limit to the number of jobs available. Unemployment could still go up a few ticks.
Maury Harris
Difficulties of seasonally adjusting the retail sector around year-end suggest that the two-month average -- about flat -- is a more reliable gauge of hiring trends.
Maury Harris
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